County teen dies after being beaten at party in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE — A 19-year-old St. Johns County man died following a fight at a bonfire party on Jacksonville’s Southside.

Ryan Scott Ford, of Oak Lane in St. Augustine, was with a large group of people at the fire in the 14500 block of Old St. Augustine Road when several fights broke out, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

At 1 a.m. Saturday, police responded to reports of an injured person who had been taken to the hospital by others at the scene. They said Ford became unconscious after being punched several times and died a short time later.

Saturday afternoon, Christopher Scott Hoffman, 25, was jailed on a charge of manslaughter, according to Duval County jail records. He was being held without bail.

The party was off Old St. Augustine Road near Gran Bay Parkway.

Some of the people at the party were under the legal drinking age, most were in their 20s and alcohol was involved, said Sgt. Shawn Coarsey with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.